The Power of the Deadline

Yesterday, I turned in my new book to my editor at St. Martin's Press! This is my latest book since "The Comedy Bible" and I've been working on it for 1 ½ years. If (before I started this project) you'd told me that I could write for nine hours a day -- I would have said that it's impossible. I'm like most comics. We write when inspiration hits us, which is usually while driving, working out at the gym, or having sex - in other words, anytime other than actually sitting down to write. Inspiration rarely strikes when it's supposed to.So how am I able to make a deadline? Fear. Yes, the power of the threat of humiliation over writing a shoddy book -- not to mention having to return a substantial advance -- is a great motivator. The results? At night I'm dreaming about the book. I'm up at 5am working for 4 hours, then a gym break, and then another 4-hour stint. Of course, now that it's done, I plan on having a life, seeing what my peeps are doing on FB, taking a Sierra Club hike, getting my roots done, and actually getting out of the house. But, if you're having a hard time finishing projects, I've learned a lesson I want to share with you. We all can't wait for a book deal, an HBO special, or a starring role in a sitcom to motivate us. You have to show others that you can finish what you start before they'll invest in you. So -- here are some tips to complete your projects: 1. Have a deadline with consequences. We've all seen deadlines come and go with nothing done. That's why you need a deadline where you are accountable to someone else and there are grave repercussions if you don't hit your deadline. Find what motivates you. (Humiliation? Having to pay money if you don't finish? A trip to Maui if you do finish?) Then, find someone to hold you accountable to complete your project, so that if you don't get it done, they will be handing out the punishment, or reward. 2. Spin only one plate at a time. Many of us are spreading ourselves thin by trying to do stand-up, put together a speech, write a book, and not doing any of them well. Focus on one project and don't start another until you've completed it. We funny people tend to have a lot of ideas. Just know that ideas are worthless unless they are nurtured, evolved, and developed. 3. Money is a great motivator. Before putting all your resources into a project, make sure it's time well spent. There should always be a realistic possibility of making money off your project, or advancing your career. 4. Passion only gets you so far. You need passion to get any project out of first gear. But just like a fizzled love affair, passion wanes and you find your marriage to your idea in trouble. So, pick a project that's not only meaningful to you, but also meaningful to others. Doing things for others sometimes can keep you going when your own ambition fails. 5. It takes a village. Very few people have what it takes to create alone. Have regular meetings with supportive people and assess your progress. Go to social.comedyworkshops.com to find a Comedy Buddy. 6. Make your goals manageable and incremental. Start with small commitments and keep them, like weekly writing one blog or one minute of new material. 7. Have a huge reward for yourself when you finish. Thank yourself for following through with a trip, a party, or a binge night. Go ahead, you deserve it!

Your Low Self Esteem can be Your Ticket to Fame & Fortune

A few years ago, a psychology professor from Florida State University did a study on self-esteem -- and the results were not what you'd expect.  We hear all the time that we need high self-esteem to be successful - but the study found that the segment of society with the very highest self esteem -- were criminals. I guess that means that people in jail for burglary felt with certainty that they deserved your flat screen television.  (And they succeeded in getting in it -- at least temporarily.)    Oddly enough, the people who scored lowest on the self-esteem scale were psychologists -- including the ones who designed the self-esteem study.  Maybe their lack of self-esteem is what causes them to be so curious about the topic ... and to take the time to really study and learn more about it. Are we experts because of our defects?  I'm starting to think so. From teaching the speaker's class, I'm finding that my students speak about what they need to learn.  One of my students sent me an email to say she was quitting the class just a week and a half before the showcase.  It's ironic that her speech is to high school students about "Don't Give Up!  Getting Past Obstacles." Another student is a nurse working at a VA spinal cord injury unit who's so burnt out that it's affecting her health.  She's speaking to nurses on "How to Deal with Stress." I understand.  I speak on using humor to lighten up the workplace and I spend 90% of my time fretting, worrying, and combating depression. But it seems that that's a perfect recipe for a hilarious motivational speaker.  Low self esteem, weight problems, stress problems, and difficulty handling change can be looked at as negative qualities -- but I'm beginning to see them as great motivators to improve, learn, and become an expert on your weakness. I'm sure growing up, Mother Theresa was probably told she was extremely selfish.  I could hear her mother saying "You, you, you, Theresa, that's all you're ever thinking about!" Perhaps that was her motivation for becoming a saint.    What are your weaknesses?  Take time to study them, and develop a passion to overcome them.  And then - turn that passion into a paying career.              -Judy Carter Author of The Comedy Bible, Motivational-Humorist, and Comedy Coach. Coming in 2013 "Make a Career Out of The Message of You."

The Hidden Value of Your Stories

Do you have a secret stash of dinner party stories, or stories you tell friends in a bar, or to entertain a date?

I'm talking about those stories that you know inside and out; the really good ones that people beg you to tell over and over. And after you pretend to NOT want to - you turn a tale loose and leave people laughing, crying -- or sitting in amazement.

All good storytellers have these -- but what many don't realize is all the hidden value that a collection of stories with a common theme can have.

My speaking students are often amazed to find out that their crazy boss stories, the drunken family vacation stories, or the story of how they survived an illness (or their childhood) often have a message that goes much deeper than just entertaining a few friends. And, when they harness that message, and frame it properly, it can be a message that businesses will pay a lot to hear.

In the speaking class I'm teaching now, I have a student who works in the transit system. She has hilarious stories about nightmare bus riders. And now she's putting a collection of them together to create a fabulous speech about using humor to deal with difficult people. Her speech is not only hysterical, but it's got great on the nose content that would be of value not just to bus drivers -- but to ANYONE who has to deal with the public. So her potential audience would be ...hmm, let me see...everyone?

Another student is an actress, with wonderful stories about auditioning for commercials. Appearing in over 200 commercials has made her an expert on how to interview to win and wow all the audiences of your life. Once we framed what she knew with that "just right" wording in that last sentence, she realized how valuable her experience is -- not only for actors - but also for anyone who wants to get a job, land a promotion, win over a jury, or just impress a date. (That would again be... everyone!)

We've all learned something from our years on this planet. Even small day-to-day struggles of overcoming obstacles and having success often have hidden treasure in them that can be of value to others -- and that corporations and organizations will pay to hear. I call that the "Message of You," and when we share that message (whether we get paid or not), we all can make a difference in someone else's life.

Are you ready to find your message?

Here's a quick exercise from my new book, "The Speaker's Bible: Make a Career Out of the Message of You" (St. Martin's Press, 2013):

EXERCISE: Discover Your Message by Asking Your Tribe

In this exercise, I want you to ask your closest friends, your family members, and your co-workers two questions:

"What have you learned from me?" and "What are the stories I tell over and over again?"

When you ask the people in your life these questions, you're going to be very surprised by the responses you get. Try it and find the theme - and the value -- of "The Message of You."

  

- Judy Carter

Author of The Comedy Bible, Motivational-Humorist, and Comedy Coach. Coming in 2013 "Make a Career Out of The Message of You."